Strange
by ryoku1
Summary: There is a ghost in their new house.


Lantis figures he should have let Hikaru pick the house to begin with, no questions asked. But when he comes across the house, with its weather torn roof, it's cobwebs and long shadows, he knows he wants it. Without any reasoning, other than the house feels like it needs them, just as much as they need it. It is an irrational string of thoughts, Lantis is aware of that, but it doesn't stop him from wanting the house the moment he sees it. Hikaru likes the squeaky swing on the front porch, and that the back yard is big enough to have a dog, or two, or three, or a horse, or some chickens. Hikaru likes animals. So does Lantis, within reason, but he does want the house, so whatever animal Hikaru decides, in the end, it's fine as long as they get _that_ house. Hikaru admits that out of all the other houses they saw, that one is the only one that she already feels attached to. Lantis thinks, that between the two of them, they were meant to have this one sad house. Because something about it is very sad, it's missing something. Something they can give.

The house is surprisingly cheap, for how large it is, but Lantis knows that only that house will do. He doesn't really think about _why_ the house is inexpensive. It is a fixer upper, they'll have to invest a lot into it, so getting it at a very low price doesn't seem so strange in context.

Lantis now knows, it was because of the ghost. The ghost was very lonely, and Lantis senses that, even if he doesn't realize it. Even if he only realizes it a week in. He thinks Hikaru did too. He comes home late one night, misses the one squeaky board at the entrance way, and stumbles into the kitchen, to find a man he doesn't know sitting at the kitchen counter. Perhaps a normal person might freak out, would have screamed and hollered and probably called the authorities, but Lantis isn't exactly normal. Instead, he thinks something like 'Oh' and everything just fits into place in his head.

Lantis has always seen ghosts. When his older brother died, he stuck around for years after, and not a single person believed Lantis when he mentioned it. That was fine. In the end, he learns to keep it to himself. It isn't some great secret or complex that he keeps from the world. It is simply a thing he knows others will not believe. In the great span of things, it has affected him surprisingly little. Hikaru is an angel, and she believes him, but he doesn't know if he should tell her that there is another man living in their house with them. It's sort of a strange thing to bring up.

Lantis makes his tea, and takes a seat across from the ghost, who only smiles up at him. Lantis wonders if the ghost even realizes that he's been seen. "Is this your house?" Lantis asks first, because ownership for ghosts, is actually very important. It's not something that people usually think about when they think of ghosts, but it is very, very important.

The ghost seems surprised, but only for a moment, because the smile is on his face again in no time at all. "I don't want to leave, if that's what you're asking."

Lantis shakes his head, because that isn't what he asked at all. The conversation might have led to that, but it wasn't his intent. He takes a sip of his tea, and continues. "Do you mind if we stay here?" From how the house feels lonely, how it looks worn down and tired, Lantis thinks he already knows the answer. Even still, it's only proper to ask. He has found some ghosts to be very reasonable, others to be less so. It's always a good idea to figure out who he's dealing with.

The ghost laughs, and it's a warm sound filled with mirth. "Do you mind if I stay here with you?"

And that's really when their strange situation begins.

-\|/-

Hikaru cannot see or hear Eagle, -that is the ghost's name- but she can feel him. It doesn't make much sense, for someone like Lantis, who can both see and hear but has never been able to touch. It seems to work for them though. Lantis introduces them the very next morning, and even though Hikaru can't see Eagle, she beams at meeting a new friend, a new companion, as it were. Eagle is unsure, he is afraid of frightening her, and was against being introduced at all. He doesn't say it right out, but Lantis feels like he understands the ghost's apprehension. But, to Eagle's surprise, Hikaru just comes right out, and touches him herself. And the ghost simply melts into her at that point. From then on, he is wrapped around her proverbial finger, which is not anything new. Both of them are.

Eagle later admits that Hikaru is warm, and feels real, like nothing else in the world. The sensation overwhelms him. Lantis can relate. Hikaru is warmth and light and brilliance. Even if he is at first surprised at her ability to feel the ghost, in hindsight, it makes sense.

He starts coming home late, and finding the two of them curled up on the couch together, Hikaru asleep, and Eagle absentmindedly braiding her hair, or unbraiding it. If he was a possessive man, it might upset him, but it instead surprises him how easily their third member just fits into their daily life. In fact, he almost envies Hikaru's ability to touch, and be touched. He wonders if Eagle's skin is soft, if his hair is as light as it looks, how rough his fingers are. He loves talking with Eagle, but he wishes that he could reach out and touch him too. It isn't fair that Hikaru can't even see Eagle, can only feel him and that Lantis can see him, but not reach him.

Lantis finds Eagle easy to talk to, or talk with, more accurately. With Hikaru, he gets tongue tied, and says less than he means. It's alright, because Hikaru seems to instinctually know what he's trying to get across, but it does frustrate him. Eagle is easy to speak with, he talks casually, and he listens, and Lantis doesn't have a hard time saying things. In an abstract sense, Eagle feels like a bank for his words, a place here he can put things in, and freely get things out. And it feels safe, which is sort of amazing in its own right. Lantis doesn't talk much on his own, but he finds himself talking more with Eagle, and it feels like something special every time.

For a while, both Hikaru and Lantis just assumed that Eagle only ever stays on the first floor of the house. They figure it's one of those strange ghost rules -like how Eagle can turn the water on, but not off, how Eagle can creak the door open, and slam it shut, but he can't just straight out open or close it, how he can turn the TV on, but not off, how he can turn the volume up, but never down; just physically can't do any of those things, even when he tries. His actual actions are very limited, Eagle can't do a lot, even though he tries to be helpful around the house. He can always be found in the kitchen, or the family room, or the downstairs guest bedroom. He is capable of reading, so they always keep the house stocked of books but he never puts them away. Lantis has started to think that he physically can, but likes to leave them out so that they get a better idea of what he likes, without having to say it. But they never find him upstairs. Until they do find him in the attic one day, trying to chase off bats, and failing.

His answer, when Lantis asks, is that the second floor is their space. He reminds them that they are a married couple, and need their privacy.

But something about that doesn't sit well with him, and Hikaru notices. They're on their way back from getting ice cream cones, when she asks what is wrong, and he tells her. They both agree, that it doesn't feel right.

They decide to solve the problem together, but Hikaru resolves the issue herself.

One day Lantis comes home, and instead of finding Hikaru and Eagle curled up on the couch, he finds them laying next to each other on the bed. Eagle apologizes, profusely, but Lantis eases his worries with calm, slow words, and that night the three of them all lay in the large bed together.

When Lantis looks back on the time before the house, he thinks that maybe they had always been missing something. They were just newlyweds looking for a home together, but Lantis realizes at some point, that they found more than what they were looking for. And that now, it would be impossible to live without their old house, and the ghost that has become part of their family. It's strange, but it isn't strange for them.


End file.
